Car-coupling.



J. TIMMS; GAR COUPLING.

Patented Dec, 8, 1908.

' 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

I. TIMMS.

GAR COUPLING. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. s, 1905.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

James TIWTLSJNVENTOR WITNE S:

JAMES TIM'MS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

'CAB GOUPLING.

Speei-fication of Letters Patent.

?s;t entei1 Dec. 8, 1908.

Application filed February 3, 1908. Serial No. 413,966.

i To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES Tnvrrrs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in car couplings, especially in those of the well known Janney type, and comprises imroved operating mechanism for manipulating the lock and opening the knuckle.

it consists further in the provision of operating levers so constructed and arranged that the knuckle may be both unlocked and thrown open by a movement-of the operating levers in one direction; in devices hitherto-constructedfor the purpose of operating the knuckle of an automatlc coupler,'it has been usual to provide a bar or rod, which was required to be moved in one direction for bringingthe locking pin to lock-set osition and then moved in the opposite 1rection for pushing the knuckle open, but the purpose of my improvements is to both unlock the knuckle and push it open by the movement of the actuating means in one direction only.

A further object of my improvements is to simplify and cheapen the construction, and

to avoid the use of hangers, chains and other accessories generally employed with the op- 'eratin mechanism now in common use.

Wit these and other objects in view which will be hereinafter specifically set forth and claimed, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which are hereto atand hereby made a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a vertical cross section showing my. improvements applied to aco upling head,

the knuckle being in locked position; Fig.1 2

i is a vertical cross section showing the parts and from each other. 50

operated and the knuckle in open pos tion; Fig. 3 is an upper plan view showing the knuckle and the operating parts in both open and closed position; Fig. 4. is a view of the levers disconnected from the coupling head 5 is a modification of lever 12, the hook portion being formed integral with the lever.

. In the drawings, 1 is the coupling head,

having a vertical 0 ening 2 therethrough, in

which is positione a locking pin 3 adapted to move u wardly and downwardly therein;

1 4 is the ta of a pivote d .or swinging knuckle not only lifts the its raised position, as seen in .2, rests upon the ledge 6 formedin the'coupling head, and thereby the pin 3 is supported .in its lockset'position. When the locking pin is in th s position, the 'knuckle tail is unlocked and as free to swing through the recessed portion 7 of the locking pm.

My improvements have for their chief-object the means for lifting the locking 3 to its lock-set position and swinging the knuckle completely open, and I accomplish these results as follows: Fulcrumed at .8 upon thev outer face of the locking head {1 is a bell crank lever 9 having one end formed with the cam face 10 toengage the lbeveliiiace 11 formed at the lower end of locking pin 3, whereby when 'the lever '9 is outwardly, the enga ement of faces 10 and '11 locking pin, .but zalsoimoves it to one side so that the shoulderfi made to engage with and rest upon the ledge '6; adjacent its other end the lever 9 constructed to receive the lever 12 which =fulcrumed thereon by meansofthe pin 13; this lever 12 carries thereon the er r14 pivotally mounted at 15; the coupllng head has the opening'16 therethrough for the reception of the finger 14, which is ada ted to-enter the coupling head and engage t e knuckle tail 4 at an appropriate point preferably recessed as shown at 17; a baror rod or chain point within reach of the operator, who is not therefore required to pass between the cars in manipulating the coupling, to open the same. M

The operation of my improvements is as follows: Referring .to Fig. 1, the parts are shown in locked position, the lower end of the locking pin 3 resting in contact with one arm of the lever 9, the other'arm of said lever ,,being thereby brought into contact with the;

side of the couplin head, and lever '12 being also in contact wit 1 the coupling head adj acent its outer end and the finger 14 being held in its outer position by engagement with the knuckle tail. To manipulate the parts, lever 12 is swung outwardly on the pivot 13, and as fin er 14 is held from moving inwardly by the knuckle. tail 4 which is locked against movement, the effect of swinging lever 12 as described, is to cause lever 9 to swin upon its pivot 8, whereby lockin pin 7 is ted upwardly and sidewise to its ock-set position as shown in Fig. 2; the knuckle being now unlocked, a further movement of lever 12 will cause the finger 14 to be forced a ainst, the knuckle tail, thereby swinging the uckle on its pivot ando ening t e same It is seen that the unloc ing and the opening of the knuckle is accomplished b moving the levers in one direction only, an that the manipulation of lever 9 is accomplished by the movement of lever 12. The lever 9 being overloaded, the levers are returnedby gravity to the position shown in Fig. 1 as soon as the outward pull thereon ceases; when the knuckle is closed, the looking pin 3 is released and through gravity descends to a position of rest upon a shoulder formed a' propriately within the head.

It will f e seen that the manipulation of the locking pin and the knuckle is much more quickly and surely performed by means of my improved lever construction, and at the same'time a simple and eliicient device is ob-- tained.

While I have shown my improvements in combination with a coupler of the well known J anney type, yet I do not regard the construction as confined to that type of cou ler, and therefore do not limit myself in t at respect; further modifications may be made in the construction and the mounting and operation of my improvements, which fall within the s irit of my invention and I desire to claim a such modifications.

What I claim is: I

1. In a coupler having a swinging knuckle and a locking device to secure the knuckle in locked position, a lever fulcrumed to the outside of the coupler and constructed to move the locking device to its unlocked position, and a second lever fulcrumed upon said first lever, and constructed to be swung i thereon to actuate said first lever and also to open't he knuckle.

2. In a coupler having a swinging knuckle and a locking device to secure the knuckle in locked position, a lever fulcrumed to the out- 0nd lever fulcrumed thereon, a finger pivoted to said second lever and adapted to engage said knuckle, said second lever being adapted to be moved in one direction to actuate said first lever to move said lockin device toits lockset position whereupon a urther movement of said second lever in the same. direction forces said knuckle 0 en. I

4. In a coupler, a coup ing head having an opening formedtherein, and provided with a swinging knuckle and a locking device to secure the knuckle in locked position, a lever fulcrumed to the outside of the couplerhaving its upper end bifurcated, a second lever pivoted thereon and adapted to swing within said bifurcated portion, a rojection formed upon said secondlever and upon said second lever causes said first lever to unlock said knuckle and the projection upon said second lever to push said knuckle open.

5. In a coupler, a coupling head provided with an opening therein, a swinging knuckle and a locking device to secure the knuckle in locked position, a lever fulcrumed to the outside of the coupler, arms formed upon said lever, a second lever pivoted thereto to swing between said arms, a member formed upon said second lever to enter said opening, said levers being adapted to be operated by a continuous ull upon said second lever whereby said rst lever unlocks the knuckle and the member on said second lever pushes the knuckle open.

6. In a coupler, a coupling head provided with an opening therein, a swinging knuckle and a locking device to secure the knuckle in locked position, a lever fulcrumed to the out side of the coupler, a second lover pivoted upon the upper end of said first lever, a-mem ber formed on said second lever and adapted to enter said opening and engage the tail of said knuckle, whereby a continuous pull upon said second lever operates said first lever to adapted to enter said opening, whereby a continuous pull lift the lock to its unlocked position, the fulcrum for this movementbein'g formed by the enga 'ement of said projection, with the knuc le tail, and a further pull in the same direction causes said member to swing said knuckle open.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

J AMES TIMMS. 

